Anthology

SMOKIN JOE KUBEK was born to play blues guitar. At 14 years old, he was playing guitar in Dallas night-clubs, and three years later, he had formed his first band. He then went on to play rhythm guitar for Freddie King, Robert Whitfield’s Last Combo, and Al Braggs.

In 1989, Kubek teamed up with BNOIS KING, a singer/guitarist with incredibly soulful vocals and jazz influenced guitar technique. Kubek invited King to sit in on a regular Monday night gig in Dallas, and the pairing worked perfectly. They recorded the album, The Axe Man, prior to their debut at Bullseye Records, and have since gone on to release several albums under four different labels. Throughout it all, Bnois and Kubek have been known for Kubek’s larger-than-life fretwork, King’s smoky vocals and tasty, economical guitar playing.

Most recently, the band has signed to Alligator Records, where they have released two albums. Kubek couldn’t be more thrilled to have signed with Alligator, recently commenting, “Alligator is the Rolls Royce of blues labels. After all my life of being a musician, this is the greatest achievement and brightest spot of my career. I’m looking forward to making the best recordings I’ve ever made, and I’m looking forward to seeing all of our fans on tour.”